Vending machine



Sept. 4, 1945. E. w. HANDLEY ETAL VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet l m MM WW o .1 w e W a H I .Qs Y W Filed Nov. 21, 1939 4 NN a 1 l l l l I l l I 1 Sept. 4, 1945. E. w. HANDLEY ETAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Znwomfo) W q/fer S a rsvmm esf M Zi k ga/a/w gi l/ Sept. 4,: 1945. E. w. HANDLEY ETAL 2,384,089

VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvu/ar Va/fer 'eyers fm E rag-sf I1 Mal/er Sept. 4, 1945.

E. W. HANDLEYv ETAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet. 4

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P 1945- I E. w. HANDLEY ETAL 2,384,089

VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 H44 H/65 k gm/w Q lfiorh7 Sept. 4, 1945. E. w. HANDLEY ETAL 2,384,089

VENDING MACHINE e Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 21,- 1939 .IIIJ

n r Z u mw ZMM W5 Patented Sept. 4, 1945 VENDING MACHINE Ernest W. Handley, Arlington, and Walter Segerstrom, Somerville, Mass.

Application November 21, 1939, Serial No. 305,428-

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to vending .m achines and in particular to vending machinesfor vending small packages although the machine of the present invention may be adapted and constructed for packages of any-size. v v

The chief advantages of the present invention reside in the simplicity of construction, lack of complicated, control devices, reliability of operation, and the safety provisions whereby the machine may not be operated except in the p oper intendedfashion. v g T Y a The machine of the present invention and most of its operating parts are stamped, pressed or died out of sheet stock, so that little or no machinery is required. Further there area great number of similar partsand comparativelyfew parts in the whole machine. Each section ofthe machine is the same with only one-coinjcontrol for all sections of the-machineae Each section also contains two compartments, a forward-and a rear compartment, both-operatedrby the same mechanism. All of the parts havepositivezaaction and springs are used principally to return the mechanism to an inoperative position after the goods have been deliveredor thecoin're;

turned. 1 j .l j:

The invention is also featured by acaseeconstruction which protects the; article. to. be veri'ded from vermin, rodents and other objectionable insects or animals. 1 I

The invention is also char'acterized'by other features and advantagesgwhich will be better understood from the followingdescription and the drawings illustrating-an embodiment. of the' invention, in which; 1 v e 1 I Figure 1 shows a front View of a partof the machine withthe front plate removedand with other details shown in fragmentaryssections."

Figure 2 shows a side v\view of the device as shown in Figure v1 with. fragments of details ved v and side yiew of; the "elements on line Figure '7 shows a front view of the detail shown in Figure 6. v I

Figure 8. shows a detail substantially on line 8-8 of Figure 9 showing the lower portion of the device and the package drawer in transverse section.

Figure 9 shows a front view of the, detail shown in Figure 8, and,

Figure 10 shows a sectional view substantially on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 9.

In Figure 1 which shows the front of the machine from which the front wall of the casing I and the operating knobs'Z (see Figure 2) have been removed, it will be seen that there are indicated five independently operating sections with compartment walls as shown by 2 and 3 each of which has a pair of vertically positioned chambers 4 and 5, (Figure 2) containing the packages of the goods to be vended. While each of these sections may be operated independently, nevertheless when any one section is being operated, that is, when the package is being withdrawn after the proper coin has been inserted, none of the other sections may be operated until the operation of that section has been fully completed.

The front of the machine has a plate 6 upon which is mounted a plate I which has been pressed to form a series of horizontal'and vertical recessions. This plate 1 is mounted on the plate 6 by a group of screws 8, although it may be mounted in other ways if desired, as by means of welding orthe like. The plate 1 is provided with a series'of vertical recessions 9, one for each of the operating sections and alsoa horizontal recession l0 intersecting all the vertical recessions and extending the whole length of the plate from one end and almost to the end of the plate at the other end. As the plate 1 is fixed firmly to the wall 6, these recessions form a group of vertical slots between the plates 6 and l, which vertical slots are closed at the base'by the cross member I l bolted to vertical partitions l 2 of the side walls of the machine. The horizontal slot l0 extending the length of the front of the machine is closed at one end where the plate 1 touches the plateB and open at the other end as will be presently described. Within the vertical" slots 9 there are positioned vertically sliding members H which are wedge shaped as indicated at l5 at the lower end of each member. In each of the vertical slots there is a simle vertical operating bar or plate. In the horizontal slot there is positioned a succession of independent bars it one for each machine section. Each of these 'bars l6 abuts the other,

it will find its place between the adjacent ends of 7 The bars I4 are the selectivesuccessive bars. means whereby only one of the knobs {may be spring 40 is hooked at one end into a hole 4| of the arm 38 and at the other end about the pin 36 which is mounted in the wall 6 (Fig. 2) of the machine. This spring acts to hold the bar 28 in position against the projecting bars 2! of the cams. When the bar 28 is moved to the right, the spring will stretch. As the arm 38 is pushed to the right and the projecting bar 2'! passes be- I yond the lower corner of'the surface 36 releasing the bar 28, the action of the spring 40 will cause the arm 38 to push the bar 28 back into its norrnal position. As will be seen in Fig. 1, the cam will operate the bar twice for every revolution turned at a time. When any one of the bars l4 is forced vertically downwards, thehorizontal bars:

I 6 are horizontally displaced to the left 'o'fithebar 1 M which is forced downward sothat these horizontal bars to the left of the vertical bar 14 will present, not the edges between the two successive horizontal bars to the wedge end of a vertical bar to the left of 'the displaced vertical bar 4; but a portion of each bar between its ends wlilel'l -will prevent any downwardmotionof the vertioalbars. The horizontal'bars-to the-right of the vertcal bar which has been operated Will -not yield, sincethe vertical bar 14, which is operated, passes down below/the horizontal groove to the' vertieal section 22 of the vertical groove below the position of the horizontal bars:- The. verticalrbar'in this position, locks all the horizontal bars to th'eright as viewed in- Figure l in fixedposition ahd'tloes'hot allow-.any' of the other. vertical. bars to bedisplaced; Thejvertical" bars! 4: at; their upper end projecting out .of the groove '9 have forwardly projectingfiange 23- against. which the edge 24 6f the cam'25 bears,for operating the vertical bars. This cam25iis fixed to the shaft;26-, Figure 2, up= on which'the knob 2 is mounted: there'- foretheverticalbar willnot. move, the-knob can:- not. be turnedppreventing the. operation of the sectionsand the deliveringof the package from suchsections; The cam .25 is; also providedwith a forwardly; projectingbar. 2-! which projects slit-- i lciently; forward to engage a long horizontal bar 28, I V

This long horizontal bar is mounted bt .two ,l m n ie mpi s 1 9; "and; 39.;e Q j avin ov rsi ed heads 3|; (Blig the ban being retained. Qirithe ln-lTA ElQSl QBSQBf@13513459 that the'bar 28;:nay,

sm v s IQ th r ht a seenip ig relbyitne clockwise rotation of the cam 25 asindicated by the arrewiitbm sh the bea s f. thefQrWard projeting'bari] of. the cam 2 5againstthefidge 3 fe1 eeess 1,32 1 he arn. The bar; 2. has a recess 31 for every seetion of ,the, :machine. and the edge 350i this recess 1 21. hearing against it, a pro-jectingbar 21, exceptthe end section in which the projecting bar 2.1 bears against the edge .36 atthe ,end'of the; bar. The operation therefore of any one of the -five knobsoperating associated cam, 25 will move the bar 28 to the right nalativev -the slot s '33- and 34. v At the extreme right of the machine there is positioned a horizontal pivotedarm 38. The arm is shown in Figure 1-. 'I' his; .arm bears against a shoulder 39 atthe upper corner of the bar,28 so thatthe ops eration Of -the barZB to the right will push the arm ital-which is conneetedwith the coin CUR-f trolled lever as willbe explained'below. That is to say the arm of lever 38 cannot, be moved; 1111- less the proper coin has; been inserted in the coin chuteiusedviu'ththe device; y 1 v The coin. selector mechanism does not iorma part or :tiiepresenti'invention and any 0t proper coin selector mechanism may be used. A

and after the upper projecting member 2'! has operated against a bar 28, the lower projecting bar-11' willnext operate the bar 28 when this comes intoits proper vertical position.

Figures3, 4 and 5 show the relationship of the operating mechanism and the coin control device.

As will be seen'in Figure ithe lever 38 is substantially a fan shaped cam and is pivoted on a vertical pivot 43 journaling the lever 38 on the horizontal angle bracket 44 fixed to the plate 6. While the bar 28 bears against the edge 45 of the lever 38, the other edge 46 rests against the coin 41 if the coin happens to be in the coin chute 48 (Figure 5) The coin when in the coin chute acts upon a lug 54 on a bar 49 pivoted to the partition I2 at50 when the coin is moved by the edge 46 of the lever 38. This movement of the bar 49 by the lever 48 acting on the coin moving it, will raise the projecting shoulder 5| of the lever 49 so that the lever 38 will clear the bar as it is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 52 in Figure 4. If the coin is not in position, then as the lever 38 is rotated, the edge 46 of the lever comes up against the shoulder 5| and no further motion of the lever can be effected: This meansthat the bar 28 is blocked from further movement and therefore also the operating handles 2cannot turn.- The lever 49 is held down by means of the spring 53st) as to bring a projecting member. against a slot 55. The coin 4'! bears against the lever 49 through this projecting member 54 which projects from the edge of the lever 49 through the slot 55 made in the wall of the coin chute-'48, into the chamberoi the chute in which the coin ispositioned. As the edge 46 of the lever 38. moves the coin 41 to the right, (Fig. 5) ,the coin is released by sliding out of the coin chute under the projection 54 whereupon it dropsintoa coin receiving box not here described. If the machine is emptied, in

.' which case the sections will'not' operate as will be described below, a knob .tt'may be turned which releases the coin from the chamber in the manner-described below so thatit may be returnedto the individual who has deposited-it. For this purpose the knob. 56 is carried by a shaft 51 journaled in bearings'58 and 59 supported from a side wall of the machine. ,;The shaft 51 carries a smallplatefin upon which the bottom edge of the coin 41' rests. This plate isabiase towards the chute supporting frame by means of the spring BI and through the rotation of the knob 56, this plate Bfl is removed frombelow the coin so as to permit the coin 41 to drop straight down to at delivering draw mentioned below. As has been stated above, when the com 41- is in the proper position, the lever49 is. freed .so that the arm 38 may rotate and the bar '28 may bemeved to the right as viewed in Figures 1 and 4. j. The shaft 51 carries also a plate 200 which rotates with the shaft, which plate has a forwardly prolooting. flange 2 01 .which.when the shaft is rotated blocks the end of the bar28 an prevents the operation of thedelivery knob 2 and the de-. livering of a package even, though the coin-is in properposition' for, allowing. the ;.bar1. 8.1to reciprocate. It is evidentthereiore if the individual turns the knob, 56 to .compelgthe delivery of the coin, he vwill beunable to turn the knob 2.

The packages to be vended are Stored inthe chambers formed by the vertical walls 62, 63 and 64, the wall 63 acting as'apartition between the forwardwall- 64 and therear-wall 62. ;The goods are packed in vertical columns in the chambers 4 -and 5, -and are delivered through the'open bottorn bymeansof the reciprocating tray 65 open at the top and bottom. The trayis supported freely upon a bracket SIS-connected to the end partitions I2; .which extends horizontally the length of the'machine and is of such a width that when the tray 65 is in either extreme position,- one edge 61 or $9 of the guidingpartition 'Hlc onnected to the sides of the tray will coincide with the-side edgeof the supporting bracket,

When a package in column 4 for instance drops down into thetray it comesto rest upon one half of the bracket 66. This will happen in the position'of the machine asshown inFigure 2. When following this aswill be explained the handle 2 is rotated so that the delivery tray is moved to the left as far asjthe stop bracket 10', the partition 70 or-rather its wall 6}" will push thepackage to theleft as viewed inFigure 2 until the package clears the supporting bracket 66, whereupon it will drop into the delivery chute which is be-. low the supporting bracket 66. In this new po-- sition of the tray 85, the top portion 1| of the supporting partition in the tray will be clear of the column 5 and thetop end of the wall 69 will then be just under the lower end .of the wall 63. In this position then the package in the column 5 will drop into the tray. 65 and come to rest on the other half of the bracket 66. The package will then be in a position to be vended from the rear delivery chute at thevright of the bracket 66. :The mechanism for reciprocating the delivery tray 65 transversely across the columns 4 and5 is indicated in Figure 2 when taken in connection with Figures 6 and 7. The shaft 26, on which the knob Zis fastened,.is.journaled in the wall 6, and carries, at theright hand side of the wall as viewed in Figure 2, a disc 42 which is mounted by means of a bracket attached to the shaft at an angle; inclined to the axis of the shaft. This disc 52 is provided with a slot 12, (Figure 1). at its outer periphery, the purpose of which will be described later. The disc 42 has its end positioned in a wedge shaped recess 13 in a plate 14 which is mounted at themiddle of the front wall'15 of the delivery tray 65. As the disc 42 is rotated, it is quite obvious that the tray willreciprocate back and forth a distance equal to its extreme positions as shown by the fullline and dotted line positions 42 and 42' respectively in Figure 2.

In the full line position indicated in Figure 2, the disc bears against the rear face of the wedge slot 13; while in the other extreme position, namely the'position shown in dotted line 42', the disc willbear against the front edge of the slot. This motion of the edge of the disc horizontally in its rotation,-is, of course, made equal to one-half the width or the supporting bracket 66 by proper This lever isv mounted. f r-lm v m nt-l n p ne p a l lit gy tiwl endwalls of thereciprocal'tray .65 on the plate "by. :means} of the bearin 11-. The lever. carries a semi-circular disc portion. which "swings in a verticals plane and ;is positionedxadjacent to; the plate: 14, the. disc" covering .a portioniof a wedge slot 13 when the-tonguelQ. of the lever .is .in 'a horizontal position. :Thisisindicated in Figure 6.

When there is no package in the delivery tray, the tongue. .l9zis held'inia .horizontal positioniby meansof the spring ao'which is fastened at one end tothe' bottom .ofpthe' plates" asshownat 81 and at the other end to thellowerv forwardproe jecting-lug 82 iofi'the leverti'lic In-this position the semi-circular vertical portion-18 of the lever, partially covers the wedge shaped slot .13 and comesinto engagement. with-the slot TZwiIlE-L'bh disc 42 .so. in this position .the .disc 42 cannot turn. .When' the tongue 19is pressed down the semi-'circulardiscfla disposed in a vertical plane clears the.disc-42 and this'is the condition ex.-. istingxwhenthe. packages are. inthe column .4. It will be noted that this mechanism to prevent theiopera-tion of the section when the column-is empty: needbecontrolled only by the .front. .-.cole umn since the machine may always be packed so'thatuthe lrearzfcolumn will be-the first1to' be emptied and thereby there is no needof a sepa'-. rate or independent controljfor the rear=column;, In addition to the mechanism alreadyz described, in :connection. with Figure ,1, :it should -.be. noted of course that one .half revolution ,of ;-the,.knob 2 will produce f'one half of the complete cycle of the-reciprocating tray so that for each revo. lution' of the knob, two packages ;are ,vended. The cam 25 therefore is a cam-arranged for duplicate operation for a 'singlewrevolutionrv As will be notedffrom Figures 1 and 2 the shafts 26 are provided with aratchet 83-.which permits .a clockwise rotation of'theknobs 2 as-indicated by the arrow 35, but prevents a counterclockwise rotation through. the action of the pivoted pawl 84v pivoted at the point .85 andtensioned a ainst theiratc het wheel 83rbymeans :of the: spring .186. so that the'knob may be operated only. in a;clock-..

- wise direction. It further will be noted that-the insertion :of the coin in the coinchutelfreeing the lever 38 permits only one of the selected knobs to beoperated, since. theroperation of. this .knob will force down thecorresponding.verticalbar i4 and therebyilock all the othenbars in position. so that none .of. themcan be'operated until .th bar which has been operated isreleased. As-seen in .Figure 1 this doesflnot occur. until the edge '24 of the cam .25.has movedubeyond the projecting flange 23 ofthe bar 14 -and;when;the. cam has moved into this. position, theprojecting bar 21 has progressed beyondrthe. edge 36 ofthe slot:31 thus releasing the bar 28 which; flies back into its. normalposition thuszpermitting thereturn movement of the lever 38 which releases the lug lever 49 .allowing ,-the coinitogdrop through into the coin reception boxand again locking the lever 38in itsnonoperative position. The ma, chine will then only be operable :when another coin has been dropped-:intogthe coin chute. again freeing the lever 38. a i .A;further.feature ofthemachine is the pack: age delivery arrangement which. permits the package to be delivered into a drawer whichmay beifreely :openedby the operator or user to -re .movethle package which has beenlv nded. .When

the drawer which is positioned; at the lower. end of:;thev machine is opened the passage to the package. columns-and sections ,is completely, coy:- ered and sealed; as explained below so that it is dropped through the delivery chute" Further,

the machine is so designed that'it is substantially completelyrsealed at all times keeping the goods within'the machine free from access by insects, rodents or other animals.

O'I'hls arrangement is shown in Figures 8, send 1 V l I I l InFi'gure '8 the front. of the machine is shown by the wall 90 and the rear by the wall BI Sup-- ported within the machine at the side walls and freely journaled therein as indicated at 92, is a a bottom cover plate 03 extending the whole length of the machine. whlchisshown dotted in a raised position. a

As the drawer 95 is pulled forward awayfrom the wall 9|, the cover plate 93'is raised to the dotted line position 93 thereby closing the bottom opening of the machine from the back up to a forward inclined wall96', which at its lower part has a shoulder into which the down turned end 91 of the plate 93 rests. The rear 9.4 of the drawer 95 is'provlded. with an inclinedwall 98 which at its rear end has a vertically projecting section 99 with a turned end I00. The turned end I at the back end of the drawer rides under the. cover plate 93 asvindicatedby the dotted line positions of 99 at 90' and I00 at I00. The drawer itself is tensioned against the'back wall BI by means of the spring 'l0I which is fastened at one end to the base of the drawer and at the other end to the wall of the machine itself, so that when the drawer is released it will fly back toa closed position. Theback. of the drawer is partially shortened and open behind the wall 98 to permit free action of the spring IN. The front end of the drawer I02 is provided with a grip I03 and a top projecting'flange I04 which is normally adjacent the lower: edge I05 of the front cover 90 of the casing. Y

i As indicatedin LFigure- 9,r.theidrawer is'supported from the side walls in a recess I06-in the bracket I01 which is attached to the wall. A U shaped projecting flange I08 carried 'by the drawer, rides in the recess I 06.

Having now described Y our claimr I 1-. In a vending machine of the type described. a cabinet having a forward and'rear compartment adapted to hold the products "to be vended open at the bottom, a reciprocating tray open at the top and bottom and having a central member positioned to extend under a part of either of said compartments, said tray being positioned beneath said compartments, a bracket for supporting the tray, means for reciprocating said tray between the forward. andthe rear compartments comprising a shaft having an axis in the direc tion of motion of said tray, a cam operated by said shaft having an effective operating plane at an angle other than normal to the axis, said tray carrying a member having a wedge. shaped slot engaging the periphery of said cam whereby when said shaft is rotated said tray will be 'reciprocated in the direction of said'shaftz- 2. In a vending machine of the type described, a cabinet having a vertical chamber divided in two vertical compartments, .said compartments being open at the bottom, a-delivery tray open at the topand bottom and having a cross memher in the mid-section thereot extending upwards-from the bottom of the tray and adapted to close a portion of the base of said compart ments;' 9. fixed bracket extending across the bottom of the tray, spaced symmetrically with the invention, we

openings at the bottom of said compartments, means reciprocating said tray "longitudinally thereof a distance equal to.- the -width of said bracket whereby the bottom of'each compartment is completely opened alternately in alternate extrerne positions of said tray. and said means for reciprocating-said tray being operable by the pur chaser 0f the article to be vended'to push said article beyond said bracket for delivering the same.

'3. In a vending machine of the type described; a shaft having an operatin knob, a cam mounted at the end of said shaft having an operating plane positioned at an inclination to the axis of'said shaft, a delivery tray open at the top and bore tom having a projecting member provided with a wedge shaped slot therein, the edge of saidcam engaging said slot, a pair of vertical chambers positioned directly above said delivery tray, a bracket positloned'beneath said delivery tray for supporting it, said bracket being aligned centra1- 1y of said vertical chambers, said delivery tray having a cross member positioned directly across thev bottom of said chambers whereby longitudinal motion of the delivery tray will expose comletely one or the other of said chambers." V

4. In a vending machine of the type described, a'shaft having an operating knob, a cam mounted at the end of said shaft having an operating plane positioned at an inclination to-the axis of said shaft, a delivery tray open at the top and bottoinhaving a projecting member provided with a wedge shaped slot therein, the edge of said cam engaging said slot, a pair of vertical chambers positioned directly above said delivery tray, a bracket positioned beneath said deliverytray for supporting it, said bracket being aligned centrally of said vertical chambers, said delivery tra having two delivery compartments of substantially the same cross section as saidchambers and having a bracket therebetween and said cam having a distance of travel equal to the width of said bracket.

5. In a vending machine of the type described having a compartment for the storage of the articles to be'vended, means forming a delivery opening positioned at the bottom of said ma chine, a drawer closing the bottom of said machine and positioned to receive the article tobe vended, a pivoted partition extending from the rear of said machine into said drawer at an inclined angle and means operatively associating said partition and said drawer whereby said partition is raised to cover the entire opening across the bottom of said machine when thedrawer is extended. I

6. In a vending machine of the type described having a compartment for the storage of the articles to be vended, a means forming a, delivery opening positioned at the bottom of said ma chine, a drawer closing the bottom of said ma chine and positioned to receive the article to be vended, a pivoted partition extending from the rear of said machine into said drawer at an inclined angle and means operatively associating said partition and said drawer whereby said partition is raised to cover the entire opening across the bottom of said machine when the drawer is extended and spring means positioned at the rear of said drawer for automatically returning the sameswhenzit has been released.

7. In a Vending mechanism of thetype described,- incombination a shaft a cam carried by said shaft having a plane of operation inclined notch for preventing movement of said cam and consequent rotation of said shaft except when a package to be vended is in said tray and'depresses the lever freeing said portion thereof 5 from engagement with said cam.

ERNEST W. HANDLEY. WALTER SEGERSTROM. 

